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User blog:Pinkguy the b0ss/Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Review
What's up my Shreks, DiamondMinerStudios here and today, I'm finally going to review Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. I have a lot of things to say about this game, so let's get started. When the original Donkey Kong Country came out in 1994 for the SNES, it sold like hot cakes. Nintendo leaped ahead in the 16-bit console war they were waging against Sega Genesis, which initially threatened to take away the market dominance they had established with the NES in years prior. Due to its success, Rare, the company that made the game, decided to make a sequel, this time focusing on Donkey Kong's best friend Diddy Kong. Not much is known about the history of DKC2's development, other than it was made using the same SGI (Silicon Graphics) technology as the first game, and that it was originally planned as a Virtual Boy title. However, that system flopped and DKC2's development was shifted to the SNES. It was released to similar success, with many citing it as better than the first game. To this day, the majority of DKC fans agree that this entry in the original SNES trilogy is the best of the three. Now it's time for my opinion. Do I think that DKC2 is as good as everyone says it is, or do I prefer the first game? Let's find out. Story Like the first game, the game doesn't win any awards in the storytelling department. It takes place right after DKC1. The Kremlings, now dressed as pirates, and King K. Rool, now appropriately going by "Kaptain K. Rool," are upset by their previous loss at the hands of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. He kidnaps Donkey Kong and demands the Kongs' bananas as a ransom. Instead, Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong set out on a quest to beat K. Rool and rescue Donkey Kong on the Kremlings' homeland, Crocodile Isle. Not Oscar-worthy, but it's definitely a fun setup for a game. Gameplay The game is a 2D platformer, just like the original. Dixie Kong takes the place of Donkey Kong in this game, and I think she's a little better because of her helicopter hair ability. Besides the hair helicopter, there is a new team up move, where if you press A with both characters, you'll pick the inactive character up and be able to throw them to get up somewhere or defeat enemies. Just like the helicopter hair, this ability is very useful, but a slight bit less so. If the previous game's controls were superb, then this game's are practically perfect. Movement and jumping more or less feel identical to the first game, but there are a few improvements that make this game control overall better. For one, the Kongs stop in place when you throw a barrel, making precision throws a bit easier. The already excellent somersault move was improved as well, where after somersaulting, jumping out of it and landing, you won't slow to a crawl like DKC1, so keeping the pace of levels up is more convenient. The miniscule performance drop issue from the first game was fixed, which is surprising given the upgrade in visuals. It can (albeit very rarely) happen, but only lasts about half a second at most. One of the best parts of the gameplay is the animal buddies. If they were good in the last game, they are exceptional in this one. Each one, from Rambi to Squitter to Squawks, is a great addition to the game. Sometimes, there's even a stage dedicated to them, such as Squawks' Shaft, Rattle Battle, and Rambi Rumble, and they perfectly compliment their abilities, providing some pretty interesting level design. If I had to nitpick, it would be that Rattly kind of sucks compared to the other buddies, mostly because his charge jump takes too long to execute properly and that he doesn't control quite as solid as the rest. However, he's still a good buddy, and overall, the buddies are one of the best parts of the game. Just like the last game, it spans multiple worlds - Gangplank Galleon, Crocodile Cauldron, Krem Quay, Krazy Kremland, Gloomy Gulch, K. Rool's Keep, and The Flying Krock. The game has a bit more consistent level types in each world, but there are still plenty of surprises here and there, which prevent the game from becoming stale. Also like the last game, the world map is linear and straightforward, which keeps the game simple and easy to understand. With all of that said, let's move on to the difficulty. Difficulty This has got to be one of the most challenging games I've ever played, and for all of the right reasons. The challenge is based on true difficulty - mastery of simple-to-learn mechanics in order to deal with tricky platforming and enemies while in interaction with each level's setpiece, speaking of which, each level contains a different one. They are all fun, challenging, and enough to keep you on your toes. Even if they get mildly annoying, it's annoying enough that you want to keep playing, but not enough that you'll want to smash the game with a hammer. The occasional camera issue from the first game was corrected, with the visibility being improved, just further cementing this. The bosses in this game are also a massive improvement over the previous game. In DKC1, the bosses really feel no more than another normal enemy and were pretty easy to take down. In this game however, they are actually somewhat challenging. The final boss has to be the best in the game, being tough while still being fair. It also gives you a DK barrel every three hits, so you don't have to be perfect if you happen to take a hit. The only real issue with the difficulty concerns the save points, and even then, it's a very minor issue. Like the last game, you have to reach the save point to save. It's free the first time you do it, and any saves after that will require you to pay two banana coins, which are the currency of this game. It can be a bit annoying to not be able to save after beating an extremely hard level, but it's still quite easy to earn the coins as there is always a level that has one or two near its beginning, so you won't have to grind for long at all. Some seem to really hate this design choice, and a very small minority says it ruins the game, but I myself just don't buy (haha GET IT LOL) this argument. Soundtrack Holy shit... if DKC1's soundtrack was a masterpiece, this one is a magnum opus. This game doesn't have a single bad track, whereas DKC1 had the occasional "OK" track (ex. Voices of the Temple). Every single song in this game equals or occasionally surpasses DKC1's offerings. The most impressive thing? One man composed it. Yes, that's right, only one person - David Wise, to be exact - composed this 35-track-long masterpiece all on his own. There's a reason why he is often mentioned along with the likes of Koji Kondo. Highlights from the OST include Mining Melancholy, Funky the Main Monkey, Stickerbrush Symphony, Hot Head Bop, Welcome to Crocodile Isle, the credits theme, and my favorite, Jib Jig. Something that seems insignificant is the death jingle. Most people wouldn't notice it at first, but each level type has its own unique jingle based on the style of its background music. This shows that Rare really knew they were making something special and truly put their hearts into this game. Graphics How can I do a review of any of the DKC games without mentioning this? To keep this part short, the graphics are even better than DKC1's excellent look. They're bright, colorful, and detailed, and have a detailed illusion of 3D depth with some kick-ass Mode 7 effects, especially in the water and castle levels. They still look fantastic to this day, and hold up very well. The SNES truly was a powerhouse for only being 16-bit. The graphics and art direction are also oozing with charm, creativity, and personality. Even the enemies give off personality, with over the top animations and goofy sound effects. The Kongs themselves have tons of charming animations, especially the idle animations, when they win at an end-of-level bonus, and even just staying still on the honey walls in the Zinger hive levels, which triggers an animation of Dixie tasting the honey. This game has got to be one of the most memorable I've played just based on the sense of charm and stellar graphics alone. Conclusion Just like in my Super Mario Sunshine review where I said I was a bit early in calling Super Mario 64 my favorite Mario game, I was really early on calling DKC1 the best game in the Donkey Kong Country series. While I stand by my opinion that the first game is a great experience, I wouldn't hesitate to join in with the majority. DKC2 has better level design, more useful abilities, slightly smoother controls, improved graphics, a legendary soundtrack, superior boss battles, and is one of the best SNES games I've played, one of the best 2D sidescrollers I've ever played, and one of my favorite games. While I still do like Super Mario World, Sonic 3&K, and Super Mario Bros. 3 a little more, DKC2 is still right up there with them and stands as an excellent game in its own right. So, how will it compare to the third game in the trilogy? Like the other two DKC games, people generally seem to like it, but some genuinely hate it. Well, I'll have to beat it first to see. Until next time, thanks for reading. Category:Blog posts